How well Nesrine Malik captured my perception of the delusional state of so many in the UK today (Along with the Queen, Britain is laying to rest a sacred national image that never was, 11 September). I was born in London during the blitz, got my education and emigrated to Canada in 1961, contemptuous of the class system even at that young age. The history lessons of my schooldays were soon challenged as I travelled to the Caribbean, Africa and India. I had been taught that British rule was a gift rather than a cover for plundering resources. I actually thought that Britain was the force that ended the slave trade, not an active participant in it.
Over the years, I have returned frequently to the UK to visit family and friends. I have seen the country, particularly the south, become more affluent and thrive peacefully inside the EU, yet all the while clinging to a perception of greatness and superiority over other nations.
